She has only just come to the public’s attention with her incredible appearance on Britain’s Got Talent - but nine-year-old Jesse-Jane McParland was always destined for great things.

A video tracking her journey from a three-year-old taking up martial arts to the 12 times world champion she is today has revealed the schoolgirl, from Keady in Co Armagh, always had a special talent.

Her proud dad Gary said: “When she was little, we would have taken JJ to ballet and Irish dancing and I remember her all dressed up for a ballet competition.

“She had a tiara on and her mum told her she looked like a princess, but JJ turned around and said to her mum that not every girl wants to be a princess.

“I ended up taking her down to Newcastle sports centre one Saturday morning because I thought she might like to get into basketball but there was martial arts class on and her wee eyes were like saucers.

“I thought there would be no harm in her giving it a go, so I took her to a class the following week and that was that.”